1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a physical support and utility device for use with a chair or similar piece of furniture. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved side headrest and utility console combination which may be removably mounted upon a chair and in particular a vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chairs and like items of furniture, especially the seats used in vehicles, generally provide good support for the upper legs, buttocks, and back of the user. However, these seats typically do not provide good lateral support for the user. It is often the case that a passenger in a vehicle may become tired and wish to sleep during the journey. The lack of lateral support found in vehicle seats often results in the passenger's head, and possibly the upper body tilting toward one side as the muscles relax during sleep.
In addition to being an uncomfortable position, in vehicles this may pose a special danger. In particular, the leaning of the upper body of the passenger may cause the shoulder strap of the typical three point restraint system to be placed at a portion of the passenger's body which reduces the effectiveness of the restraint system, and possibly causing the restraint system to actually become a danger to the passenger. This problem is even more severe in the case of small children, which typically have a poor fit within the three point restraint system even before leaning of the upper body.
The passengers of vehicles would also like access to various loose articles during travel in the vehicle. It has often been the case that such articles, such as sunglasses or beverages, have simply been placed on the seat adjacent to the passenger. This may cause a danger to the passenger if the driver of the vehicle is attempting to reach such loose items and is inattentive to road conditions, and further poses the problem of damage to the loose articles or the vehicle seat.
It has been known to provide a utility console having various recesses adapted to retain loose articles with the bottom of the utility tray having a pair of weighted flaps which lie on either side of the central hump in the floor of an automobile. However, such utility consoles are difficult to reach by a passenger within a restraining system, and are not particularly stable and may be rather easily dislodged, spilling the loose items contained therein.